The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to produce organic compounds utilizing an electrolysis cell has been known for some time. Such reduction has been carried out in conventional electrolysis cells having an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte. Typically the cells are operated by passing an electric current through the anode and cathode at the same time that an anolyte fuel is brought into contact with the catalyst on the anode and a carbon dioxide containing catholyte is in contact with the catalyst at the cathode. The typical fuel contains hydrogen and is either hydrogen gas or water. One such process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,441 for the production of methanol, while a second is taught for the production of hydrocarbons in the article entitled: Ambient Temperature Gas Phase CO2 Reduction to Hydrocarbons at Solid Polymer Electrolyte Cells, J.Electrochem. Soc.: Electrochemical Society and Technology, June 1988 p 1470-1471).
A chronic problem associated with operating these devices is that it has not been possible to devise an electrolysis cell which has an adequate conversion efficiency to be of any real commercial value. This is demonstrated in the article cited above where the conversion rate of carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons is less than about 2 percent.
The present invention is directed toward improving the conversion efficiency of these electrolysis cells.